Our Life
by BaronessBlixen
Summary: Three short stories about Niles, Daphne and David.
1. Our Blessing

**A/N**: This is going to be a three-parter. It's just a random idea I had the other day ad it wouldn't leave me alone.

* * *

Sometimes, late at night, he thinks she was born to carry his baby. Daphne is fast asleep, but restlessly so. Throughout the years they have grown accustomed to each other's sleeping patterns; Daphne learned not to attack, hit and bite (that had happened once or twice) Niles in the middle of the night. On the other hand, he learned to accept her occasional night terrors. More often than not, he no longer wakes up when she kicks him. He only sees the damage in the morning. He is wiser these days: there are things that will cause her problems. When she eats sushi the nights are the worst. He doesn't understand why but he tries to keep her away from it – at least she can't eat it while she's pregnant and he is grateful for that.

Tonight, he isn't awake because of sushi. He isn't even awake because Daphne woke him; their child did. Even seven months into the pregnancy, he can still hardly believe it. Their child. Not so many years ago he had given up the hope of ever becoming a parent. He had been with Maris for so long and yes, in the beginning of their marriage when things had still seemed so manageable and joyful, he had hoped for children. Eventually, he had given up on this particular dream. Until Daphne. Getting together with her, marrying her – it would have been enough. He was happy knowing he had her love. Then she gave him this; one of the greatest gifts imaginable. The little human being inside of her that is half him and half her and a new person all together. Hoping it won't wake Daphne, he gently puts a hand on her stomach. The baby kicks again as if he or she already knows who Niles is. It makes him feel tall and so full of love. His hand still protectively on her swollen tummy, Niles looks at Daphne's face. She has become so much more beautiful, he realizes – not that she is ever not the most beautiful woman in his eyes. Lately, she is quite moody and tired from carrying their baby. Niles tries to be as patient as possible. It isn't always easy so he enjoys these moments of peacefulness in the middle of the night. With his child.

The moment Daphne told him about the pregnancy, he started wondering who he or she would take after. Naturally, he hopes the Crane genes will prevail. One Simon is already too much for one family. He can never help but wonder what the baby will look like. No matter if it's a boy or a girl, Niles wants the child to resemble Daphne. No one is as beautiful as she is. He already knows the child will remind him of Daphne no matter what it looks like. He cannot think of their child as an it; him or her. It has to be either. He doesn't know what he'd like better. Niles stares at Daphne's stomach. Several people have told them that from the way she is carrying, she is most likely to have a boy. Niles can almost not imagine it. He the father of a son. Luckily, he had a father who always loved him – even if he didn't understand him. Tears fill his eyes. The older he gets, the more he appreciates his father. He is getting on in years – they all are. Niles doesn't want to think about death. Not when his little baby is there, in his mother's womb, waiting, trying to comprehend what this life is all about. Just like that, Niles decides it's going to be a boy.

Suddenly, he can picture the little boy. He is going to look like Daphne, but he is going to be like him, too. He will learn the piano and maybe even the violin – Niles is certain he can already hear it. The first tries, then when he gets better. A beautiful sound. The baby kicks again. Niles will never get used to it, to the sensation and the emotions it triggers in him. He wants Daphne to wake up so they can share the moment, but when he looks at her he knows she needs the sleep. For her it's different anyway, he knows. This is his moment; his and his son's. He sighs softly. His eyes feel heavy. It's still night time and Niles needs his sleep, too. He leaves his hand on Daphne's stomach. The warmth of the two people he loves the most is like a lullaby. At some point, he feels Daphne's hand on top of his.

"He'll have your eyes." Niles isn't sure if she really tells him or if he dreams it. But he falls asleep with a smile on his face. He is ready to face another day; he is ready to become a father.

**END**


	2. Our Loss

Niles cannot comprehend the pain he is feeling. There is the logical, the rational part of him (usually it prevails; not today though) that tells him how ridiculous this is. Daphne takes his clammy hand in hers. Why is she so calm? He wonders without looking at her. Niles stares at his son. David is oblivious to his father's thoughts; he is munching on his cereal and looking at some comic book Niles knows nothing about. The comic book depresses him. One day he picked his son up from kindergarten and the small boy with a smear of chocolate on his face clutched a comic that he wouldn't let go. Ever since then David would get a new comic book every week. Niles tries to give his son other literature – the kind he himself likes and approves of – but David doesn't care.

"He's a child, Niles. He doesn't want to read that boring stuff that makes you want to fall asleep." His father said him when he told him about David's new passion. Now over a year later, he still only reads comic books. His favorite superhero is Batman – Niles had always hoped it would be Beethoven. As it turns out, his son doesn't care much about classical music either. He plays the piano, but when he does he looks as unhappy as Niles when he was forced to play any kind of sports in his childhood. David of course knows so much more about baseball, basketball and what not – sometimes, Niles thinks grimly, David is the son his own father had always wanted.

"Can we leave yet?" David asks and the question brings Niles back to reality. His son is dressed in some of his best clothes. He is not wearing a tux, as Niles suggested, but a nice shirt and no jeans. David seems to be obsessed with jeans and Daphne usually lets him wear whatever he feels most comfortable in. This time of course both his parents told him to wear something nice and David, knowing it was an important day, had not grumbled. Niles can't help but look at this child. Time moves so fast – too fast. Here they are, everything is changing and while Niles knows this is just another passage of life, he just wants to hide under their piano.

"I think your daddy is a little slow this morning." Daphne is no longer holding his hand, but David's finest black coat. The small boy with the golden hair that has just the slightest bit of grease in it so that he looks 'cool' grimaces but lets his mother help him into the heavy coat.

"Are you quite well, daddy?" Moments like these, when David uses the fanciest words he can come up with in his young years, are when Niles knows this is _his_ son. There are some Crane genes in him after all. The way he often screws up this face, just like at that moment, reminds Niles of Frasier. It makes him smile, but it also makes him so incredibly sad. Like everything this morning; don't they realize how much their lives are changing?

"I'm fine, David. It's just…just…such an important day." Niles is tearing up again and from the corner of his eyes he can see David looking at his mother in a silent question, asking what is wrong with his father.

"I know it is. You told me already." It is the boy's way of cheering his father up, but it only makes Niles sadder. He has to wipe the angry tears away, because he is destroying David's big day. As much as it pains him, he has to keep himself together.

"We're really proud of you, David." Niles says and tries to keep the quiver out of his voice. Daphne's hands are on David's shoulder – when did the boy get so tall? – and she is smiling. Proudly.

"Can we please leave now? I don't like this mushy stuff." David breaks free from his mother's grasp and his father's sentimental eyes. Just the way it's supposed to be. However, it does nothing to ease Niles' pain.

"Honey, he is just starting school. He is not going to leave us." Daphne whispers to Niles when David has run from the kitchen. Niles nods; he knows he should be happy and proud that his son is starting school, that he is becoming independent. But he feels like he is losing him. It's just too soon. So many things are out there that he can't control – and he is scared.

"I know, I know." If only his heart understood it, too.

Unlike his father, David is a popular child. There are some of his friends from kindergarten already waiting for him when they arrive at the school. Most of these children are smaller than David and they look as frightened as Niles. Not his son though; he bathes in the attention he gets. Niles clutches Daphne's hand as if he is afraid to drown in his own tears. Martin and Ronée are there, too. They're taking pictures and are altogether much too cheerful for Niles' liking. Frasier has sent a card, but couldn't make it. Maybe his brother would be the one to understand him in this situation.

"Now we're asking the parents to please leave the classroom." Niles' heart beats much too fast. When David started kindergarten, it was hard already. He hated having to leave him there day in, day out. He eventually got used to it because David only went there three days a week and only for a couple of hours. This is different. He has the strong urge to take his son and carry him out of the school. Surely, they can home-school him? Before he knows it, he finds himself outside with Daphne and all the other parents. They all look happy, some even relieved.

"You look pale, son." Martin remarks. It's a nice day; almost warm with the sun above them in a clear blue sky. Everything is perfect. Except that Niles can't feel it.

"He has a hard time letting David grow up." Daphne says gently. At least she is not making fun of him. He squeezes her hand, so grateful that she is there with him.

"I was glad when you boys started school." Niles doesn't expect a different answer from his father and he manages a small smile.

The hour stretches on. Ronée and Martin go to get some coffee and Niles and Daphne are alone in the school's playground. It looks nice, but also dangerous. What if David has an accident here?

"You think too much!" Daphne softly slaps him on the shoulder. Her face is radiant. For a moment Niles is jealous – then angry. A mother should feel even more protective, shouldn't she?

"I'm sorry?"

"You're thinking about David up there in that classroom. Why don't you want him to enjoy school?"

"I do want him to enjoy school and learning, but… I don't want to lose him." Niles admits sheepishly. He looks into some window where he sees children. He doesn't know if David is among them or where he is. The feeling of fear once again grabs him and tears at him.

"You're not going to lose him, Niles. Neither of us is. He is just… growing up."

"He is growing up too fast. What if he hurts himself here? Or if something else were to happen, hm?" For a moment Daphne is quiet. Maybe she finally sees his point. But then her hand is on his chin and she gently turns his face towards her. There are unshed tears in her eyes that make Niles want to console her.

"Niles, do you trust me?" The question seems so out of the blue and certainly out of context. His eyes are still on hers, but he furrows his brows. In a way, he doesn't understand what she's just asked him. In his life, in his understanding the question doesn't even exist. Him trusting her is like a scientific fact.

"Of course I trust you."

"Then trust me when I tell you that David will be fine. We'll all be fine."

This time it's him who is silent. He thinks about the day their son was born. It happened at a veterinarian practice. On their way to the hospital, when David's eyes tried to squint open, Niles mutely promised to protect him and Daphne from any harm. Naturally, he knows that schools are not predatory. He gets to pick him up for so many years more. He is not yet independent from them. David still needs them; just not as much as he did when he was still a baby. He was exposed to danger then, too: he could have swallowed something, he could have fallen, he could have… the thing is, Niles realizes, that none of these fears materialized. There could have been, but there wasn't. David is a bright, beautiful and loved little boy.

"Don't feel guilty for loving our son. Just… we have to let him out of our sight, you know."

"I know." Niles watches her; she is no longer looking at him, but somewhere else. Maybe she is looking into the future. He is still not sure in what way he believes in her visions, but sometimes her intuition is so eerily spot-on that he wonders about it. She has always been less afraid, too. She came to this country, because it was her dream. She built a life here. The only time she's ever scared is when she worries about someone she loves.

"How are you so fearless? You're never scared of anything." It seems strange that they have such a serious conversation on a playground. Then again it doesn't feel weird at all.

"Not scared! Niles, I am just as afraid as you are. Do you think I want to send my baby off for so many hours? I just don't want him to grow up scared just because of us."

"I love you." Is all Niles is capable of answering. Sometimes she doesn't seem to know or even understand how strong she is.

"I love you, too," she giggles like a school girl who says these words for the very first time, "Now let's find your father and pick up David. I doubt he is too old to have ice-cream with his old parents." Daphne takes his hand and he follows her. His heart is so much lighter, until a shadow falls onto his face. One day David will tell them he wants to do things without them. Niles pauses for just a second. Daphne stops and kissed him gently on the lips.

"You're thinking again. You're thinking too much!"

Niles decides to give his mind the rest of the day off. He wants to spend it with his family now – and worry about the future later.

**END**


	3. Our Love

A/N: This is the last installment. Thanks for reading – and reviewing. The last part actually inspired the whole story – but as always I had such high expectations for this part that it turned out completely different. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

It's still early when Niles gets home. He knows Daphne is at his father's; lately, the old man just needs more help. Neither of them talks or thinks about the inevitable. Ronée still keeps him young – in a way. After all, they're all getting older. Niles feels it, too. The reason he comes home earlier today is because he is tired. He is exhausted. Naturally, he cannot talk to Daphne and David about his patients and Frasier is too far away; he has been too far away for long now. So he has to keep his feelings about his work to himself. At least he has a family that gives him support and loves him. What more could he ask for? Really?

Niles is surprised to find the apartment filled with noises. There is David somewhere because he knows his son's laughter. Someone is tinkering on the piano and it can't be David. His son is virtuous; this is a person who doesn't know what they're doing.

"Well, hello." Niles is surprised how angry he suddenly he is – his son is supposed to be at school and not sitting there on the small bench with a girl. When he addresses them, they both flinch. The girl blushes and ducks away shyly. David just stares at his father and is obviously not happy with having been disturbed.

"Hey dad. You're home early."

"So are you." David smiles sheepishly and with his 16 years of experience he knows the effect this smile has on his father. Niles' anger disappears like a cloud on a summer's day. It reminds him of Daphne. When their son smiles, he looks like her. Just as beautiful and just as innocent. The boy is almost a man now, but to Niles he is still his little son. Sometimes.

"We only skipped English, Mr. Crane." He can almost ignore the girl calling him 'Mr.' instead of 'Dr'. He cannot overlook what she's said about school.

"Only skipped English? Your mother tongue doesn't matter anymore?"

"Dad, please." The condescension in David's voice is similar to his own. The older he gets, the more he realizes how snobbish he can be. Knowing it doesn't change his behavior. There is so much Daphne in David, but this is all him. They both know it doesn't matter whether David shows up for an English class, because he is at the top of his class. He is a smart boy. Still, Niles doesn't approve of such behavior. Daphne doesn't either – at least he thinks she doesn't. He realizes they never actually talked about it, because they didn't have to. For the most part David is a good, honest child. Only that he seems to no longer be a child.

The girl stays quiet as father and son seem to engage in a staring down contest. She doesn't know they don't usually do it like this. David and Niles are both talkers; they solve their problems by talking about it – and often drive Daphne and Martin crazy with it. Not this time. Niles sees his son and tries to see the small boy he was not so long ago. He cannot let his son know he is no longer angry; his mind is caught up in the past when he could pick his small body up and just tell him what was right and what was wrong. Now David has to decide these things for himself.

"Maybe you and I need to have a little talk." Niles says and looks at the girl. He thinks about her parents who most likely don't know she's here and with a boy. They probably don't even know about David, because he didn't know about this girl either. When did his son stop reading comic books and start dating? Suddenly a great sadness overcomes Niles. He himself has never told his father much about his life, but he thought he and David shared a different relationship.

"I have company over, dad. It would be rude." The girl is clearly uncomfortable. She tries to hide behind her long dark hair as if she could make herself invisible by doing so.

"Let's just have a quick chat in the kitchen. I'm sure…" Niles doesn't even know her name. That little detail hurts. He stares at her and the veil of hair in front of her. Neither she nor David say a word. His son instead rolls his eyes in an annoyed fashion and storms out of the room. With a mumbled 'excuse me' to the girl without name, Niles follows.

David stands impatiently in the kitchen with his arms crossed in front of him. Just like his mother. Niles closes the door behind him silently. He doesn't want to yell or fight. For a short moment he thinks he wants to keep his son inside this room; letting them grow up is so hard to do. He misses Sunday mornings when the three of them would sleep late, have breakfast together and then sometimes cuddle on the couch. He still remembers these days, but he can't say when they ended. David's golden hair often spiky and uncombed and his whole body smelling like cookies or something sweet. Like a child. Now there is a young man waiting for an explanation why he was embarrassed in front of a girl who is supposedly his girlfriend. Niles wishes Daphne were home and they could do this together. They're always better together.

"Dad, that was so not cool!"

"Well, am I supposed to find it funny that you skip school? How often do you do this David, hm?"

"English bores me."

"How often, David?"

The boy looks away, trying to come up with an answer. Niles can already guess he won't like it. Poor child – he just can't lie. He usually turns as read as a tomato when he does. Niles searches for the tell-tale signs but so far his son doesn't show them.

"Not that often. I promise." It's not the answer Niles expects and he doesn't know how to react. He was prepared for his son to tell him it was just this once, or all the time. This is David though and he looks miserable. He knows he is often bored at school, but he had no idea it was actually this bad. His son is slowly slipping away and he seems unable to reach him.

"What-what does that mean, David? Every other week? And what about this girl?" He still doesn't know her name or anything about her. He wants to yell at his son to at least tell him that if he can't tell him anything else.

"Can we please not talk about this? It's not like I'm failing the class and Susan won't either." When he finally mentions the girl's name, David blushes. It's a different kind, not the one he gets when he is lying. This one is new. It worries Niles.

"We have to talk about this. Your mother is not going to be happy." Without a doubt, Daphne is the stricter parent. David knows it, too, and looks away.

"So this girl…Susan, is she your girlfriend."

"No." The answer confuses Niles. Did he misinterpret the whole situation?

"We're… friends." It's the hesitation that puts Niles off. Something is going on, he can tell. He is also sure that he is not going to like it. Is this really his son? He seems to be a stranger. There isn't a precise moment in the past where they lost touch with each other. As everything else, it must have happened gradually. Until now, Niles didn't realize it. Now, he feels the whole impact.

"I think she doesn't know she is just a… friend to you."

"She knows," David face betrays him; he has no idea what this girl is feeling but he is not willing to admit it to his father. "We're not you and mom, ok? Can I go back to Susan now? You can still yell at me and ground me when mom is home."

"When did we ever ground you?" Niles thinks out loud. They never had any reason to. Also, it is not something they believe in.

"Well, whatever. Can I go back now, please? This is kind of embarrassing." Niles' answer is a resigned nod. David quickly leaves the kitchen where his father seems frozen to his spot. Daphne has to come home – the faster the better.

While he is waiting for his wife, Niles can't help but listen to his son and his not-girlfriend. David is playing the piano for her. He is so talented; he is so much better than Niles ever was. It's just something he is good at. Unlike Niles and Frasier, David never brags about being good. He just is.

Niles closes his eyes, listening to the music. He is playing one of his favorite Beethoven compositions. He remembers teaching it to David when he was little. 'What's this called, daddy?', he asked one day when Niles played it. 'It's Beethoven's Für Elise.' 'What?' 'It's German. He wrote the song for a girl he really liked called Elise.' 'I think this is his best song.' and Niles had laughed 'You don't know the others.' 'Don't need to, daddy. I like this one best.' The memory puts him in a melancholic mood. Back then, when he taught him the song it was the first time David actually showed any interest in playing. He just didn't like playing at first. Now he's playing like he's making love to the piano. It's the way the song is supposed to be played maybe, but David is too young. The music hurts his ears, because as he thinks about it he realizes David is no longer too young. For any of this.

The sun has almost set when Daphne finally arrives home. David and Susan have long disappeared in the boy's bedroom. Much to Niles' chagrin. She is hardly inside the apartment when Niles rushes over and hugs her tightly. Daphne is surprised by the action but hugs him back. She smells like spring, he thinks. Like the fresh air he so badly needs at the moment.

"Did anything happen?" and Niles tells her.

"So he skipped a class. Niles, I know you value education and I don't approve of what he did but… did you never skip a class?" Niles is appalled, which makes Daphne smile softly at him.

"Maybe it's this girl he's with." Daphne takes his hand into hers. It's so warm; just like her eyes and her smile. So many years have passed and clearly she is older, too, but he loves her just as much as ever. When he looks at her, even now, he is sometimes blinded by her beauty. She can still render him speechless just by smiling at him.

"It's not the girl."

"You know her?"

"No, but I know our son. He's always had his own head. If he says he's bored, well we'll have to talk to him and his teacher. As for the girl, I'm surprised it took him so long to bring home a girlfriend!"

"She's not his girlfriend," Daphne gives him a strange look, "His words, not mine."

"I guess we need to have a longer talk with him." Niles just nods.

When Susan finally leaves (she shyly says goodbye to Niles and Daphne; she seems to be rather nice), David sits down in the living room as if he knows what's about to happen. His parents sit opposite him. Niles feels himself tremble slightly and he doesn't know why. Daphne once again takes his hand into hers and immediately he relaxes. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees David watch the scene. He wonders what his son is thinking about.

"So, am I grounded or what?" Daphne gives Niles a surprised side glance then concentrates on her son.

"You're not grounded. I just want to know how many times you've done this. Each and every time, David." The boy stares at his mother. Suddenly he is much less sure of everything. There is an authority to Daphne that Niles just doesn't possess. It's part of the reason why they make such a great team.

"Done… what exactly? Skipped class or…" He trails off, realizing he's said too much. His face turns red and he is fidgety. Just like his father. Any other moment Daphne might have laughed about their similarities, but she is tired from working with Martin all day.

"Let's start with how often you skipped a class. Then you tell me exactly how many times you've come here with a girl and done who knows what." David sighs.

"I swear I don't do this all the time! Four times now, I skipped English four times." He looks first at his mother and then at his father. He knows his father cares more about this. There is disappointment in his eyes and David feels bad because he is the reason for it. It reminds him of the time when he was still a boy and told his father he'd rather play baseball than play the piano. Eventually, he fell in love with music, too – it just took him a while longer. His father wants him to go down an academic path; David isn't sure he can promise to fall in love with this path, too.

"Well, we don't approve and there'll be consequences. Now as for the girls…"

"She is only the second girl I…" Again, David trails off and his face is almost unrecognizable because it's so red. Daphne and Niles can imagine what this means. They don't approve of that either. They share a quick look, both wondering when their son grew up and why they didn't see it until now.

"I hope you're at least… careful." David nods quickly, and then looks away again. "I think I might really like Susan. She is… well, she's different. I think I like her." He seems uncertain about it. Niles wants to say something, but stops himself.

"It's just…" David doesn't seem to know if he can be honest with his parents. Niles wants to shake him and tell him he was always able to talk to them about anything. Just because he is turning into a man doesn't mean it has to stop. He can't say any of these words. All he can do is hope that his son goes on talking.

"When I see you and mom, I know I want to have this one day, too. When I'm older. Like much older, you know? I just… I just don't think I can sit around and wait. I like Susan, so yeah." It's unusual for David not to find the words, but as so often Niles understands his son. Daphne seems to well up and before he knows it, she is up and hugs her almost too tall son.

"Mom, don't smother me." David mumbles against her shoulder. She lets go of him. When she looks at her son who has his father's eyes, the ones she loves so much, she thinks she can see parts of his future; he is going to fall in love with a woman who is going to be worthy of all the goodness he has within himself. Sometimes she thinks he doesn't know how much he is like his father. There is enough time to tell him, she doesn't have to do so now.

"Your father and I will talk with your teacher about your skipping classes and see what we can do." David nods solemnly. When he stands next to her, Niles suddenly realizes, his son is already taller than his mother.

"Go to your room." Niles says as sternly as he can muster. Both Daphne and David look at him for a moment, then break into laughter.

"Hey." His voice sounds feeble and the two people he loves most in the world don't even hear him.

"Sorry, dad. It's just… it's funny." But his son surprises him when he walks over and gives him a big hug. Niles is moved by his son's behavior. He takes a deep breath; his son no longer smells like cookies or like a small child. He feels the loss in his heart like a heavy burden.

"Thanks for teaching me Für Elise all those years ago. The girls really dig it." He whispers in his father's ears. When he breaks the hug David grins like a Cheshire cat.

"What did he tell you?" Daphne asks her husband after David has left the living room. For a moment Niles considers telling her. After all, they don't have secrets. Then again maybe it's not something Daphne should know. He doesn't want to tell her, because David told him and only him. Maybe he hasn't lost him at all. Maybe their relationship has simply shifted. Somewhere in that tall, lanky guy there is his small son that reads comic books and thinks his father knows everything there is to know.

"It's a father son thing, you know."

**END**


End file.
